toy dolls
by pilosop0tacio
Summary: that doll is not a doll. that doll was a being. it called itself the doctor.
1. Chapter 1

Consider that toy in the shop. It looks ordinary. The wool is real, there are no components inside it. The doll is a real doll. But consider that the doll is not real. The doll does exist yes. But is it a doll? That doll is not a doll it's a being. It looks like a doll because it was turned into a doll. That doll was once a human being. Well an alien but still a being. That doll before he was a doll called himself a name. A name that echo though out the universe, that name is the doctor.

Doctor who

Toy dolls  
by

E.P. Port

Welcome to Oliver's. It's a small shop in the town of tallins. It's an antique shop specializing in antique dolls, a sort of doll hospital and adoption center. Rich clients would purchase the mannequins and would occasionally come-by for a 'check-up' of the priceless irreplaceable darlings. The majority of the clientele are middle aged man and woman who have no life what so ever part form the dolls and the minority are rich parent who just want their kids to shut-up and leave them alone to prepare for an important business meeting with the Korean ambassador. Yet, a sub minority of the clientele is a girl. Well, she's not even a clientele. She never bought not even a single button nor set foot inside the dusty little shop. Her name is Maria. And every day after school, without fail, would come to the store and gaze upon the beautiful dolls hang from the windows, looking so fragile and pretty. Their smiles would tease the little girl. Their warm pinkish cheeks would always give her warmth and love. And the one thing she ever wanted on the eight years of her life is to get one of those cute charming toy dolls.

Of course, this would not happen. Their family could not afford the expensive dolls hanging by the window. Her mom work as a chamber maid in the local spa and her dad bets her mom money on horse but she doesn't mind. 'We would always get by' that what her mom always says and if in fact they do, barely, but they do. She has a loving sister and a brat for a brother. She admires her sister daily while she brushes and painting her face for work. She stares at her like the dolls she sees in the shop. But her brother annoys her often that faintest Hmp! Or giggle from him would send nerves down her spine. So, this is what she can afford for now, a five minute glare at Oliver's and then straight home.

Mr. Oliver has seen the girl for quite a while. She would always arrive at the same time. She would stare at the dolls for exactly for five minutes and would leave. He didn't mind, if fact it, was highlight of his day. He loves making dolls. He loves how soft and warm their faces could be and how the wool body touches his wrinkled skin. Too bad he has to meet adult, adult with coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other, Adults that never smile or even a give a sign of happiness, Adults that complain with such anger in his shop if the dolls did not meet their standers, Adults that don't even play with dolls who keep them in glass boxes never to be played by any little children, to be only admired in a distance.

Today, he had enough. He is full of the adults. If one child can play with one of his toys, in his mind, he has won. But what toy? Surely a missing toy would make his consumers angry. His clientele are has too much invested in their doll that even a crack in the porcelain face would send his life crashing like a deck of card. he thinks of the repercussions of his rebellion. And for an old man, it's very hard with all the memory loss and all. Then, he saw the doll. I had been laying there since the winter and no one, not even an assistant or a courier, had pick it up. He took the doll and inspected it. The doll was no in his book. There was no tag to identify the doll. And if Mr. Oliver would recall, has never seen the doll. ever. He tried to recall the dolls owner or even an address. He even looked back at the shelf to give him a clue of the doll origins but not luck. The doll belongs no one, it came from nowhere and even nowhen. 'Oh well!' He thought. 'At least you would get a proper owner. Someone who take care of you and name you…' He glanced at the window and the girl was gone. Hasty, he took a bag, stuff the doll and ran fast as he can. And mind you, for a man his age a run is not a good idea. He shouted her but she did not look back or acknowledged the shouting. MR. Oliver thought it was the wind or that he isn't shouting that hard. But eventually, the toymaker caught up with the girl.

Maria was frightened. She was touched, A touch not from her mother nor her sister nor her brother. A touch so unfamiliar it sends shivers in her spine and shock in skin. She turned around slowly, facing her predator. She looks straight at the stranger, it's the man at the shop. The man wore his familiar clothes, a green vest, white shirt and brown pants. It was unflattering but that was the toymakers style. The toymaker grinned but Maria became more frightened of the toymaker. His white hair and long beard made him look devilish. He presented the bag 'here!' he said. 'A gift…..from a friend.' Maria reluctantly reaches for the bag but cannot make her trust the toymaker. Her mother said never to trust a Stranger and the fact the toymaker was a stranger, a man she did not know nor known by her mother or brother. Maybe her sister but that might not be a possibility. The toymaker insisted her to take the bag. But he saw that look in the little girl face. That look of fear that even the heartless of men would not want to see. So, a compromise, he drop the bag and left.

The man walked away, never to be seen. Maria was confused. Her she is standing froze in the middle of the street with a bag front for her that was given by the man she sees at the shop. At first, she taught of missing children being taken from their family and friends never to return. Then, she taught of the gift. If her logic was right, the man was a toymaker. The gift is given by the man. Therefore, the gift is a toy. She took the bag and went straight home.

Maria lived A the six floor of a large apartment complex near the train station. Their home was a three bedroom flat with only one bath. She and sister share a room but some nights she would sleep in hotel room. So Maria would have the room for herself. Her brother has his own room but would constantly come to her room and annoy her to the point that she asks her mother to make another brother for her brother so he can leave her alone. It was a nice proposition but her mother declined.

She hurried to the house straight to her room locked the door and sat in the floor. She savored opening the bag. Slowly taking the wrappings that hides the present. She took the doll away from the confindes of the bag and was a bit uneasy. The doll was made of wool. It had a noticeable big head and flabby little are. I wore a bow tie and tweed like jacket. The face only had a pair of beady eyes, No nose or mouth in sight which made it look cute for some reason.

Maria was disappointed. She wanted one of the dolls from the shop. The shiny angelic like dolls that were hanging in the store. But alas, she was given 'scrap'. Then again, mom always says that gifts are stuff people give because they need to or they just don't need it. She was given the runt of the litter. But that is okay. A gift is a gift even if it's not what you want.

The next day, Maria sat in the kitchen table, her mom cooking bacon and eggs and her sister sleeping in front of her, still hangover from her job. She looked at the doll and realized that she never gave it a name. But what name? 'Mr. big head' is too obvious and scuffles' was too vague. He looks silly with the tie and all, like Mr. Bean. So it is settled, she'll name it - Mr. Bean

'Time to go to school' her mother said. With a kiss from her mother and a weak hug from her sister, she was off in a hurry. Mind you, she wasn't this excited to go to school. Not in a million years would she jump out her seat and run out the door. It would be more like mimicking the action of a slug. Maria was truthfully distasted school. But she wanted to show her toy doll to everyone and anyone. She was proud of it, Even if it looked like stupid.

It is not a school. It is a concrete box. There are neither playgrounds nor a large quadrangle to signify the existence of educational institution. There are no colored drawings of children or animals or anything on the walls. Not even a stroke of beige. The walls are bear and the florescent lights shine weirdly that feels it is suck the life out of you, slowly, but surely.

Maria sat on the backest and cornerest of all seats. She was a shy girl. She was smart, on paper. But make her speak, and the even the static from the tv wound have much to say. They thought she was deft. But the doctors can't find anything wrong with her. She is so shy that silence spoke more than her.

I was a bit early, so she was alone. She was bored. She took the doll out and admired the doll. It grew on her. Mr. Bean did look a bit more dashing with prolong exposure. And with that prolong exposure came love. She stared at the beady eyes of doll, admiring the craftsmanship of the toymaker. If fact, she stared at its beady for so long, she though it blinked. Now, for a sane person would thing that it was just a caution of the brain to spot staring at thing. But it was a little girl. She wound not interpret this as some kind of illusion. She will think, out of imagination that this doll was in-fact alive. But, like a bushfire, imagination runs wild. She tried to look at the doll more closely but she was interrupted. The doll was swiftly taken by the head by a very big girl.

Her name was Suzanna. And she doesn't belong her.


	2. Chapter 2

She is a chubby little girl. Her father is a politician. And she was force to enter in this institution. She's a troubled child. She has been 'transferred without cause' form three different highly esteemed schools because of her 'expressive interaction' towards her classmates. Her father didn't care one bit. She knew her daughter was tough and would defeat even an army of men, literally. But her father didn't really care for her. In his mind, the only important person in the world was himself and no one else. So, when her father was criticize on his management on department of education. He transferred her to this school to prove a point.. I guess. It was a publicity stunt. Her father knew, her mother knew, she knew and especially, the public knew. This made Suzanna sad, and thus her reason to 'expressively interact' with her classmate, especially Maria, and how extra expressive Suzanna was to her.

Suzanna was clutching the doll. She did not hold it with love or care. She held it but never looked at it. Maria wanted her toy back. She reach for it but Suzanna would move it further way 'say something retard!' she taunted. Maria step out of her seat and tried to take Mr. Bean back. But Suzanna ran waving the doll to tease Maria 'retard! Retard! Retard! ' they began to chase each other in the room, passing to tables dashing trough art projects that hang on the wall and even rush by the cage of Mr. whiskers the hamster who was even curious of the commotion that he stop eating for a moment But continued to chew a tasty walnut. The fiasco went on for a full five minute. Suddenly, Suzanna bumped into someone. She looked up and saw Ms. Evangeline.

Ms. Evangeline was a kind hearted woman. She was old but still young at heart. She's a teacher. In fact, it's Maria and Suzanna's adviser. 'Hello Suzanna!' She said lovingly. 'What are you doing?' Suzanna stopped for while. 'Nothing' she replied. 'Aw! What a lovely doll' Ms. Evangeline took the doll from Suzanna. 'Is this yours?' Suzanna swung her head. 'Then who's is it?' She pointed at Maria 'did you borrow it form maria?' she swung her head again. 'Oh! Dear it is really rude to take anything from someone without asking permission' ms, Evangeline gently took the doll from Suzanna, Inspecting it for any damages. 'I really like your doll' Maria gave a faint smile. 'I had one but it was a bit more raggedy' she gave the doll back to Maria. 'Remember, they have feelings to so treat them carefully okay.' She nodded and Ms. Evangeline left, A bit of a story about Ms. Evangeline. In her youth, she was, like Maria, a shy girl. She would always be in the corner of the room. Sitting to peacefully and mind her own. She never made friends. Ms. Evangeline sees herself in Maria more than she can admit.

Maria is just happy someone noticed her doll. And she is proud, Suzanna just though it was stupid. To retaliate, she took the doll and dropped it on the floor and left. Maria picked up her doll. She wiped the dirt out of Mr. Bean. She took pity in her doll. The mean mean Suzanna was evil and we should know that form the start. The bell rang and school started.

This is what school is. Teachers talking – test – lunch - teachers talking again - P.E. – end. This is a habit that did and shall not be broken for forever. Nothing really happens in this school. Well, nothing fun. She hears of school exploding and kids have adventure of great imagination. Not this school. In the great endless wonderful universe, this school was not blessing with anything….fun. The only thing it was bless is the bell that signified the end of school. When this bell ring, it like you've just landed in Africa, in a middle of a stampede. Hoards of children, and some faculty, running out the door, free from the oppressive concrete box.

Maria never breaks habit. She has her own monotonous repetitive thing. A visit from Oliver's will not be a thing of the past, even if she has her own doll. In fact, Mr. Oliver needs a thank you or a gesture of gratitude for giving her Mr. Bean. She ran to the shop, Looked at the window and as a habit, stained at the beautiful dolls in the shop. But something is odd. Where is Mr. Oliver? She did not see her in his usual place. And the man was not keen to leave his station. She looked at the door. A sign read 'close'. 'Odd!!!' she thought. This is not Mr. Oliver's habit. Something is wrong? She looked at Mr. Bean, Getting advice from the doll. She looked at him. And she decided. Maria will now do the biggest thing she was done in her sever years of life, stepping in Oliver's. She stood in front of the door. She checked the door and it was unlock. She opened the door. The shop was dusty. Mr. Oliver needs to clean his shop. Maria tried to be quite but the floors would creek in every step. The dolls she once admired looked hauntingly creepy. It might be the lighting but it looked scary. She felt like a princess in deep forest. She clutched Mr. Bean so tight that it looked like he was struggling for air. In fact, he is. Maria came closer and closer to the station that once place Mr. Oliver. She looked inside, slowly peering for any sign of Mr. Oliver. But no, there was nothing inside the desk, only a small doll. The doll was badly hurt. Its cotton spread out on the floor. Poor little doll. I hope Mr. Oliver would fix this little creation. And if take a close look, it looked like Mr. Oliver.

Maria was startled. She saw a figure, so afraid that she ran out the door. She never knew who was the figure or knew its intention. She just ran straight home. What happened to Mr. Oliver? Where is he? The mystery deepens. Maria hates mysteries. In the eight years of her life, she always wanted to know everything. She may be shy but her curiosity has never failed her before. Please don't fail her now.

Maria is dreaming. Dreaming of everything she wanted. The sky is not the limit, it's her. Tonight, she is dreaming of fairies. In a lovely forest in the middle of a kingdom she created. She is princess. With her pink dress and magic star wand. She has a white unicorn with fair blond hair poking out of its head. But then, dark clouds cover the forest. The animals began running away. From the distance, the dark figure, with his devilish smile and flaming red eyes laughing a horrible laugh Maria wanted to wake-up and she did.

Maria never wanted to dream, at least just this night. She wanted company someone to sleep beside her. But her sister is out again for work. She is alone in her room, Affair to sleep. Not wanting to see the dark figure from her dreams. 'Maybe milk would help.' she thought.

She walked silently to the kitchen. The floors are made of rice paper. Well! Not literally. But every step is like cramping tinfoil. She made her way to the refrigerator and searches its contents for the milky substance. She heard a creek, like footsteps. Turned around but there was nothing. She thought it was a rat. So she continued searching for the milk, which was between the cheese and the yogurt. The creeks resumed walking inch–by-inch. She turned around but there was nothing. The creek still resumed.

At first, she thought it's just a rat. And living in a place like this, rats are very common, but the creeks were not infamous with the rats that call this place home. So what could it be? Her imagination might exaggerate the creeks as a monster trying to get her. And a girl mind exaggerates a bit I might say.

Maria investigated, following the creaking sound. She heard a buzz. It's electronic but the sounded like a humming bird. She followed the noise. It came from the front door. And when she arrived at it, she saw Mr. Bean, trapped in the cat-hole. It wasn't there cat-hole. Maria and her family did not like cats, but was, as the real estate agent said 'comes included in the package'.

Maria took the doll away from its awkward position. Who could have done this? She thought, then, another creek. It was coming from behind. She was startled. She slowly turned around facing her attacker.

And what she saw it dark figure.


End file.
